Spreading the passion for flight: Airbus joins forces with Global Engineering Deans Council for award to inspire diversity in engineering students

Airbus continues its focus on the next generation of engineers from various backgrounds, who will be ready to design more electric-aircraft of the future, identify sustainable solutions for aviation, define new materials or confront other challenges.

As part of Airbus’ sustained outreach to young people interested in aviation careers, the first-ever Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) Airbus Diversity Award winner was selected this month, chosen for encouraging students of all backgrounds to pursue engineering and be successful in the field.

Candidates for the honor – created and sponsored by Airbus in partnership with GEDC – were judged on their initiatives to promote diversity, as well as measurable results and their programmes’ potential to affect on-going change in this area.

“Airbus is a global business with customers from different cultures, and diversity increases our ability to come up with innovative ideas for future challenges,” said Charles Champion, Airbus’ Executive Vice President Engineering, who also was Chair of the Evaluation Committee for this award. “Our role at Airbus is to go beyond the existing developments and attract the next generation of people with the passion for aviation – through new outreach efforts like this award, as well as the Fly Your Ideas competition and the Future by Airbus concept.”

Ana Lazarin of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, USA, was chosen for the Diversity Award. The other two finalists were Catherine Pieronek from the U.S.-based University of Notre Dame, and Maria Angeles Martin Prats from the University of Seville in Spain.

For Champion, the three finalists’ level of personal commitment to developing diversity in the industry is a bright sign for the future – and for Airbus.

“Engineering is about engaging people toward delivering innovative solutions for the future,” Champion added. “Our goal is to attract the brightest students to this field from diverse walks of life.”

For additional information on the GEDC Airbus Diversity Award, read the press release.